Three-year-old trotting colt Googoo Gaagaa rolled to a victory in world record time in an elimination race for the Earl Beal Jr. Memorial Trot on Friday night at Mohegan Sun at Pocono Downs.
The race carried a purse of $25,000.
In the first of two eliminations, Googoo Gaagaa, who came into the start with nine wins in 10 career races, made the lead with a swooping move around the first turn after leaving from post position No. 6 in the seven-horse field. Driver Corey Callahan never had to ask the three-year-old son of Cams Rocket for anything extra because he sped away from his pursuit all on his own, winning by seven lengths. Little Brown Fox was best of the rest in second, while Frost Bites K and Magic Tonight finished third and fourth to punch their tickets to next week’s final.
The fractional times for the record-setting mile were :27 even, :56 even, and 1:23.3, and the winning time was 1:51.3, nearly a full second better than the track and world record for the age group. That mark of 1:52.2 was set by Break The Bank K in the 2010 Breeders Crown at Pocono and was matched by Dejarmbro in last year’s Beal final.
Googoo Gaagaa, who was favoured at 3-5, is owned and trained by Richard Hans and has now won 10 of 11 starts with lifetime earnings of $95,945 heading into next week’s final.
In the second elimination, Stormin Normand avenged a loss to Uncle Peter by holding him off late for a victory.
With Dave Palone in the bike, Stormin Normand, the 2011 Pennsylvania Sire Stakes Champion for the age group, moved from third to first on the front stretch and led from that point on. Uncle Peter, the Breeders Crown champion in 2011 as a two-year-old who beat Stormin Normand in their first meeting at The Meadows on May 30, got off to a slow start and had to move four-wide on the final turn, but he was motoring at the end and finished just a half-length back for the place. Also headed to the final from this elimination are My MVP, who finished third, Lightning Storm, who finished fourth, and Nothing But Class, who finished fifth with a faster time than Solvato, the fifth-place finisher from the earlier split.
The winning time for Stormin Normand was 1:51.4, denied world-record status only by Googoo Gaagaa’s mile earlier in the night.
With wins in seven of his nine lifetime starts, Stormin Normand, who is trained by Jim Campbell and was sired by Broadway Hall, now has career earnings of $305,085.
Next week’s Beal final at Pocono will carry a purse of $500,000.
There will be no live harness races this Saturday, June 16. Racing will resume on Sunday, June 17 at 6:30 p.m.
(Pocono Downs)